Amtrak records helped authorities track a drug trafficking suspect traveling to New Orleans from cities known to be sources of illegal drugs, and on Wednesday he pleaded guilty to drug related charges, The Times-Picayune reported.
Jayvonne Johnson, 49, was found with more than 500 grams of cocaine hydrochloride and was charged with intent to distribute, according to court documents.
Authorities first became suspicions of Johnson while scrutinizing train records to find patterns that were consistent with drug trafficking, The Times-Picayune noted.
In this instance, they noticed that the suspect had taken at least four one-way trips from Houston and Los Angeles to New Orleans, cities renowned for drug trafficking.
Authorities have been on high alert following a bust earlier this month which hit the notorious Sinaloa cartel and uncovered it's Amazon-like chain of distribution that directed hundreds of pounds of narcotics over the border and into the U.S. via Los Angeles.
Upon further investigation it was discovered that Johnson had previously been convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine so, on June 25, 2017, law enforcement officials decided to act by intercepting Johnson as he arrived in New Orleans.
He reportedly consented to a search but grew agitated and attempted to flee. Officials apprehended him and recovered the narcotics.
Johnson will be sentenced on Nov. 1, 2018. He faces five to 40 years imprisonment, followed by at least four years of supervised release, court documents said.
Additionally, he faces a fine of up to $5 million and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
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